John Edward Brannan

July 16, 1952 – May 23, 2025

A kinder person is hard to find, a man of few words. He loved his family and his pets, treating his furry friends like valuable family members. He enjoyed a life of watching movies and playing with his pets. John Edward Brannan, 72, of Pittsburgh PA died May 23, 2025 in Maricopa, Arizona - succumbing to his ongoing battle with COPD.

John was born in Pittsburgh PA to Edward John Brannan and Ethel Evelyn Cain in 1952. John started his career parking cars in downtown Pittsburgh for Stanwix parking garage and continued to work in downtown Pittsburgh throughout his life driving a van delivering papers and working in convenience stores until his retirement in 2021. John survived multiple stabbings during a robbery in 2018 at Smithfield News an event that brought to light that he needed a triple heart bypass, stories that he told frequently during his retirement. He married at the age of 18 to Rita Silverman and was a young father to Linda (Brannan) Rhoads and Carol Brannan. They divorced after a few years of marriage.

John married the love of his life, Catherine (Baldwin) Brannan and they enjoyed 32 years of marriage before her passing in March 2021. Together they raised two children, Carol (Jozefowicz) Jones and the late Dennis Jozefowicz.

John is survived by his three daughters (and son in-laws) Carol Brannan, Linda (John) Rhoads and Carol (Craig) Jones.

Loving grandfather to Mellody Zanin, Nicolette Sanchez-Jones, Natalie Sanchez, Ashley Rhoads and Kayla Rhoads.

Loving great grandfather to Lucian Alvey and Julian Rhoads.

Brother to Kevin (Cathy) Brannan, Susie Brannan, and the late Mary (Brannan) Nolan.

Uncle to many nieces and nephews.

John moved from Pittsburgh to live with his daughter Carol in Maricopa Arizona upon the death of Catherine due to his declining health in May 2021. The two embarked on a two-day cross-country drive with his beloved pet, Sammy. John was able to bounce back significantly with his health for the first few years, but the last year found the COPD increasingly making breathing and movement harder for him. Despite that, John still awoke early each morning to set himself up in his living room and watch his tv and socialize with the family and beloved dog, Loki. His last day was spent being the happiest he had been in months.